


Slow Burn

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Falling In Love, First Kiss, Loyalty, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 21:45:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6488668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niles couldn't say exactly when he fell in love with Lord Leo, but he remembers every little thing that made it happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slow Burn

**Author's Note:**

> _Any, any, Relationships are built on trust._

For someone so cold and arrogant, Lord Leo was surprisingly accommodating.

His first nights at the castle were both a comfort and disorienting; he was glad to sleep in a real bed, but he kept expecting someone to wake him up and drag him out, _we can't stay, they'll wake up and we'll get caught._ The nightmares would come, and Niles would touch the walls and the sheets and the pillows many times after waking up.

One morning, he came to breakfast after a particularly bad night, picked at a piece of bread and nearly fell asleep at his plate.

"Niles, are you well?"

"Ah? Lord Leo, my apologies...a retainer should never-"

"Niles, I always lock my door at night. But someone such as yourself should have no trouble picking it."

They said Lord Leo was useless with people, preferred his books, hated parties and interacting with others. But he could see right through Niles and it was honestly a little creepy.

Later, when he came to Lord Leo's room that night, he found out he'd been crying out in his sleep and Lord Leo had heard him.

"Our walls are thick, but I've always had good hearing. And your room is right next to mine."

This became a regular occurrence for them. Niles started out sleeping beside the prince's bed, until they graduated to Lord Leo reaching for his hand now and then, to let him know he wasn't alone.

Over time, they took to sharing his bed. Both were surprised at how clingy a sleeper Niles turned out to be; he fell asleep either holding Leo from behind or holding him around the waist, head buried against his chest. Leo grumbled about the lack of personal space and insisted it had to stop, but made no move to actually stop him.

Other little things added up over time. Niles wasn't sure what his favorite foods were, but when he tried something and loved it Leo would ask the cooks to prepare it a few times a week. When he adjusted to using silverware, Leo gave him lessons so he wouldn't make an ass of himself at the table.

He bought Niles a new cape, deep blue and a little fancy-looking but it was soft and warm and comfortable. He never wore a different cape after that.

Niles began to open up about his past, or what little he could remember. He expected Leo to recoil in horror or back away, but he listened. Sometimes Niles wound up lying on the floor with his head nestled in Leo's lap, and Leo making no move to push him away.

When Corrin ran away from both Nohr and Hoshido, Leo was pissed until he realized King Garon wasn't in his right mind and that maybe Corrin had the right idea. When he and Xander left to help Corrin out, Niles was by his side and they plunged head-first into a campaign against a greater enemy than anyone could have imagined.

One night they sat by the campfire, watching the embers die down. Leo suddenly glanced at him, his expression intense but soft.

"Niles," he said quietly, "how do you know when you've fallen in love?"

Niles moved closer, taking Leo's hands in his own and looking deeper into his dark eyes.

"When you saved me, when you took care of me and trusted me more than anyone ever has. When I realized I could tell you anything."

Leo nodded.

"Me too."

Their lips met, and no more words needed to be said.


End file.
